Masquerade [Kuskovo Estate]

[Jaxen Marveet]

Tarik Marveet | Cyrena Marveet

The two Marveet siblings were far from the inner bubble of power pulsing with diving-fucking-radiance near the staircase. There was only so many spaces for Marveets at a private party after all, and those coveted positions were taken up by their father and his favored boy on a leash, Maksim.

Once the grandiose, self-patting, look-how-big-our-dicks-are speeches were concluded, Cyrena rolled her eyes as she turned away, languidly leaning on the bar. The open back of her dress plunged nearly to her ass crack as she did, Tarik snorted in compliant derision. “Hope Alina has her doggie bags nearby.”

Cyrena’s brow lifted high and curious. She ignored Tarik's mumbles about Maksim shitting all over himself any minute.

Father didn’t even ask them to attend, only hinting around that it was an incredibly important night for their family. Maksim, of course, being married into the family was present, but Cyrena and Tarik attended of their own volition. Sure, they were members of the circle, and both brought lavish gifts for the honored couple of the night, but most wouldn't give a rats ass if they were absent.

When Cyrena turned to prop her elbows on the bar, Tarik’s impression of her was of a hungry cat deciding which mouse to chase. They both bided their time at the party, waiting for whatever was going to happen to happen, but Tarik was a man of action. He pushed away an empty rocks glass as he spied Daniil heading toward the dance floor with a woman. Danya always had an empty vessel for a date, and it seemed tonight was no different. Danya was in for a treat though, Elena was a decent lay.

On the far side of the ballroom was Grigori Vasilev, whom he previously messaged that he would find at some point. It seemed that time was now.

Cyrena interrupted the change in his posture. “Where you going?”

He looked back at her flatly. “To take a piss. Why? Want to hold my dick for me?” he asked with a smirk.

She made a noise of disgust. ”If nobody else is going to,” she retorted as she twisted away. 

Tarik’s response was something approximating amused as if he was open to the idea, but it had been a long time since either of them went to that place. He stalked off alone, eventually pushing his way into the men’s room.

Following Tarik's departure, Cyrena finally found something that might entertain her. A man joined the bar about then, broad-shouldered with an angular, masculine jaw. She cocked her head to the side, eyes running up and down the length of him behind a generic blue and black mask. Blue sapphires dropped from her earlobes, as did a diamond and sapphire necklace dripping like water into the deep plunge of her dress. 

"You know its polite to offer to get a lady a drink," she said to him as she toyed with the stem of an empty martini glass.